The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-02-17
GREER COUNTY.
How Sweet Maintained His Posses
sion in Greer County, Re-
sulting in the Settlement
of the County.
Extract from His Memorial, ]

lE1AudOb IOlu MeluOTlhi
/ "Sweet went again to the land Office
filed his veteran field notes and was told
by the commissioner that if they were
found correct patents would be issued
upon them. The patents in due time
| were issued.
4 In working through
the county, during two crop seasons, Mr..
Sweet became satisfied that it was really
fine agricultural country and as we'll cal
cnlated to sustain large population as
any part of Texas. He and his partner,
Mr.. N. @. Howard, therefore, began to
publish its advantages to induce home
hunters to settle there. He was laughed
at by some, dsrided by Others and accused
of stealing lands from the United States,
and assured that the Indians would not
submit to the settlement of the county by
those cattlemen who wished the land to
remain to them as free range. Neverthe-
less he moved to the county with his fam
lily early in April, 1884, and was followed
by several other families, to the number
of twenty or more, by the middle of June.
The antagonism of the range men was
awakened. (To this remark the Day
Land and Cattle company were notable
exception.) Representations were made
to the department of the interior, at
| Washington, that settlers were intruding
upon the Indian Territory, and an order
was obtained for the war department to
remove them. A lieutenant with squad
of men was directed to see all the intrud-
ers and inform them that orders for their
removal had been issued, and,in case they
did not go out in reasonable time, they
would be removed by force. Lieutenant
Grove exhibited his orders and instruc-
ions to the parties interested.
These were to the effect that if any set
tier gave rational reason of right to re-
main his case should be reported to head
quarters before proceeding to extremities
with him. Mr.. Sweet in writing claimed
to have rational reason of right to re-
main, on the ground that he was citizen
of Texas, on Texas soil and occupying
land patented by the state of Texas.
Through the courtesy of Lieutenant
Grove he was furnished with a copy of the
order, which, with his answer to the lieu
! tenant, he Immediately sent to Governor
Ireland, asking if the stand he had taken
met with the approval of the executive of
the state. Governor Ireland's answer was
"Remain until you are forced out at the
pOlnU OF inc DayOnet.
! No definite time was set, and some
! wished to know what the lieutenant con-
I sidered a reasonable time. He cores
; ponded with General Schofeld, depart
ment commander, who set the LIST day of
I October, 1884. A second squad, under
Lieutenant Humphres, made visit to the
country, giving this information. Mr..
Sweet again wrote to the governor for ad-
vice and was promptly answered, Remain
and suffer yourself bound and hauled out
and be careful to procure the names and
residence of all the persons engaged in
putting you out, and also keep inventory
of all property injured and destroyed"
All the talk of the cattlemen, with the ex-
iception named, was very discouraging,
and the only settlers that remained with
Sweet were Mr.. j. r. Crouch, and the
widow Yearkley and her two sons, neither
of whom had teams nor means of moving.
Mr.. Sweet was most efficiently seconded
and supported by Maddox Bros. 81 Ander-
son, of the Day Land and Cattle company,
then ranching in the county. Through
the persistent efforts of Governor Ireland
and the Texas delegation in congress,
with the attorneys of the
Day Land and Cattle company, the order
of removal was rescinded before the awful
day arrived. Mr.. Sweet and his friends
who remained, were left in peaceful pos
session of Greer county. Settlers came
back very slowly, but continued coming in
increased numbers; all comers up to July
last making homestead settlements on
unsurveyed lands, as uIder the homestead
! donation law.
As above stated, settlers at first came
slowly and were timid and without capital
but in September, 1885, law abiding stock.
men leased lands and proceeded to fence
them. This gave impetus to settlement
Poor men, seeing the investment of CAPT
tai, were emboldened to come in great
numbers, and, in less than seven months
after the wire was stretched around the
, Day Land and Cattle company's pasture
there were sufficient number to organize
a county government. Something over
10000 acres, leased by other parties from
the state as unapproprlated public land
have been settled to such an extent as to
seriously curtail the value of their lease
This, as law-abiding citizens, they can moi
prevent, and they therefore acquiesce il
the inevitable.
The numerous pioneer settlers of home
steads promises stability to the possession
t of the county by the state. Yet, if the
position assumed by the attorney genera
be sustained, Greer county must again be
come an unoccupied wilderness. For, &C
cording to his doctrine, the settlers are al
tresspassers, subject to be ousted by writ
of possession in the hands of the sheriff
The constitution secures homestead dona
tions only to settlers on vacant public do
main, and not to those who settle on land
severed from the mass of the public land
, by legal appropriation, as he claims thes
lands to be. The condition of these set
tiers appeals to the kind consideration o
the legislature. Il & & X
Howard and Sweet have located, as be
} fore mentioned, about eighty 1880 acr,
certificates in Greer county, which are still
the property of the original grantees, be
, sides the locations by Col. Swisher, ant
} others, and, in case of the Confederate Ger
, tifcates, have in every instance surveyed
, an equal quantity of adjacent land TO
schools.
But the settlers of homesteads there arr
/ in no less distress and uncertainty abou
the titles to their homes than are thu
= owners of these veteran and Confederate
certificates about the reality of the states
70 supposed benefaction to them.
This uncertainty, confusion and distress
increases upon us continually, and unless
the legislature makes timely modifica